Countermeasures
by daxy
Summary: What if the events in the season 10 premiere had gone a little differently for Horatio? Just a "what-if".


**Summary: What if the events in the season 10 premiere had gone a little differently for Horatio? Just a what-if.**

 **Author's Note: Another word-fic. The word that a friend gave me was "injury". So I thought what if the episode "countermeasures" had gone a little differently.**

Just as Natalia emerged from the water with Horatio she could see Ryan and Eric running towards them (she knew then that Horatio must have called dispatch before he jumped in to save her). She was shaking with shock and Ryan draped a blanket from the hummer over her shoulders. She looked down at the limp form of Horatio and realized that his actions in saving her life might just have made his own survival chances take a turn for the worse.

Eric pressed down on the gunshot wound, or rather wounds; as it seemed clear that Horatio had been shot with bullet fragments. The man was losing blood fast and was shaking. He didn't respond when Eric called his name.

"What happened?" Ryan asked.

"North." Natalia said, shivering, "He... h-he uh, shot Horatio and tried to... drown me in the-the car."

Ryan hugged Natalia before joining Eric in trying to keep Horatio alive. The Lieutenant had swallowed a lot of water and it was in his lungs. Ryan and Eric tried their best to improve Horatio's breathing.

It seemed to take forever before the ambulance and the paramedics finally arrived and in all that time (although it was in reality only a short time), Horatio never stirred and never responded when Eric and Ryan called his name.

The two younger men had to stand back as the paramedics got to work with H and Natalia; and it was with heavy hearts that they watched their two colleagues get inside the ambulance. One shaking and in deep shock from almost drowning, and the other unconscious and bleeding heavily.

"Oh my god... what just happened?" Ryan asked, without really expecting an answer.

"North almost killed them. H is really bad and I want to go after him and Nat. But we have to find North." Eric growled.

"We can't focus while they're in danger. I'm calling some extra CSI's in, we need all hands on deck for this." Ryan said and opened his phone to start calling.

Eric did the same, but he was calling the rest of the team to tell them to head to Miami Dade General Hospital. In his mind he was wondering how to break the news to Horatio's son Kyle. The young man had just come home two days earlier and although he was tough like his father, he still needed the older man for support and help.

 **-I-**

The ride in the ambulance was heartbreaking. Natalia watched as the paramedic tried getting Horatio to respond. The paramedic listened to the breathing and the heart rate and shook his head. He called for his colleague to step on the gas and Natalia knew it meant the redhead was in grave danger.

"What is it?" She asked.

"He's in respiratory distress and his heart is working overtime to make up for the blood loss. He is in shock and there is a risk his heart will fail if we can't get him help fast enough." The paramedic answered honestly.

Natalia went cold inside. Horatio couldn't die. He just couldn't. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, hoping that somehow he would feel it and keep on fighting. She could hear other sirens from outside and realized that Eric and Ryan had caught up with them.

The ride felt like an hour long, but when they finally reached the hospital Natalia all but felt her heart stop as the paramedic declared that he had lost Horatio's pulse. It seemed to happen in slow-motion as the ambulance doors opened just as the paramedic started heart compressions. A team of nurses and doctors pulled the gurney out and Natalia watched as her boss and friend disappeared out of her sight with the paramedic still doing CPR.

It felt like a dream. It couldn't be real. Natalia didn't even notice that she was lead inside by a nurse and joined by Eric and Ryan. She could only see as now a nurse pressed down the redhead's chest trying to save his life, while their dear friend Alexx Woods appeared with the defibrillator. Alexx was calling for her friend to come back and not give up as tears rolled down her cheek.

Minutes passed and they used the defibrillator again and again. Horatio body shook and then somebody continued chest compressions until they once again shocked him. He was given a tube down his throat to help his breathing and shocked again. Natalia started crying and Eric embraced her. Both he and Ryan fought hard to keep their tears at bay as Horatio's life seemed to slip away right before them.

But then... a familiar beep was heard and they could almost breathe in relief. Alexx looked at them and nodded, indicating that they had it under control now.

"Okay, people let's move it!" Alexx said, "He needs emergency surgery to stop the bleeding. Page the OR!"

Natalia cried and sunk down to the floor. The nurse she was with led her to an examination room. Natalia was so relieved, yet worried and shocked that she couldn't even remember most of her examination after it was over.

 **-I-**

It was many hours of waiting that followed. One by one the CSI's arrived to the hospital and several other colleagues as well. Kyle was one of the first to get there and he paced around the waiting area. He couldn't sit down while his father's life was hanging on by a thread. Nobody spoke. They all just waited.

Natalia had been cleared to go home if she wanted. She had a slight concussion, but had swallowed amazingly little water and she would be fine. Emotionally she was a wreck at the moment.

"If he hadn't come after me..." She whispered, after a long, long silence.

"Nat. It's not your fault." Calleigh said and embraced her friend.

"If he hadn't jumped in after me then he would have been better off. He put himself under too much strain and now..." Natalia said.

"Stop." Kyle said, "Stop. You didn't do anything wrong. And dad did what anyone here would have done. If it had been the other way around you would have jumped into water as well."

Kyle looked into Natalia's eyes and she nodded. She knew deep down that it was true. None of them would have been able not to try and save their colleague's life if they could, no matter how injured they themselves were.

Another hour passed and yet people refused to go home. Horatio was one of the most respected police officers on the force and everyone wanted to know how he was doing.

Finally, Alexx Woods showed up and everyone went completely quiet and alert.

"He's alive." She said and watched everyone relax slightly.

"Now, I know you all want to know everything, but some information is for family only." Alexx said.

The fellow officers got the point and they started leaving, telling the team and Kyle words of encouragement. Finally, only the team and Kyle remained.

"Come with me." Alexx said.

"Alexx"? Frank asked.

Alexx smiled slightly and started walking. They followed her and she stopped outside a room with a window on the door. They looked inside and tears of relief started falling.

Inside Horatio lay on a bed. He seemed to be sleeping or be unconscious, but he was alive. He was hooked up to several machines and his abdomen was heavily bandaged. But the sight of the chest steadily rising and falling calmed them down a lot.

"Now, he is still critical, but stable." Alexx said, "He lost a lot of blood and the bullet fragments caused a bit of damage to his abdominal muscles. Luckily no organ damage. He had respiratory distress due to the heavy intake of water, blood loss and shock. It's almost gone, but he does still need help to breathe; hence the tube down his throat."

She watched them sight of relief, before continuing.

"He is no longer unconscious, but he is quite heavily sedated to give his body a chance to rest." Alexx said, "We all know what an impatient man he is and we want him to rest."

"Can we see him?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, you may. But one at the time for now. Visitor hours is almost over, so for today I'm only letting Kyle go in." Alexx said and although the team were a bit crestfallen they definitely understood and thought that if anyone should visit Horatio tonight it was his son.

Kyle turned towards the team and first hugged Natalia, and then the rest of them.

"I never said thank you earlier." Kyle said, "Thank you for saving my dad's life."

"Kyle, I-" Natalia started.

"You saved him." Kyle said, "He would have drowned without you there to pull him out."

Natalia wiped a few tears away and nodded. The whole team wished Kyle a good night and told him to say hi to Horatio for them. When they had left Alexx opened the door to let him in.

"He might be able to hear you; even if he's sleeping." Alexx smiled and then left Kyle alone in the room.

Kyle sat down on a chair beside the bed and grabbed his father's hand. Four years ago they had found each other and in the beginning he hadn't been so nice to the man that had had no idea his son had even existed. Now, they were close and Kyle had his father to thank for the fact that his life had turned out good.

"Dad... I've never been so scared in my entire life." Kyle said quietly, "You really scared me today and I'm so glad that you're still here. I'm not ready to let you go yet. You're supposed to be here for at least thirty more years and die as an old, old man."

Kyle squeezed the hand and really looked at his father. The man had gone through lots of tragedies in his life and it wasn't until recently that Horatio had started sharing some of those stories with Kyle. He had shared with Kyle parts of his difficult childhood and the loss of friends and lovers.

Kyle knew that his father was a strong man and Kyle hoped that he would become just as strong. He knew that if he ever turned out to be even half the man his father was, he would be doing good.

"Dad, I uh... I want you to know that I feel lucky to have you as a father. Without you, I would not be where I am today. And I also want you to know that as soon as my tour with the army is over, I'll be leaving to start another job." Kyle smiled, "I know you want me to be safe and not get hurt. I know your job is very dangerous. But I want to follow in your footsteps. I'm proud to have you as my father."

Kyle heard a knock on the door and Alexx looked at him. He knew it was time to go. So Kyle took a deep breath and was just about to say his last thought when he felt a squeeze on his hand.

It was barely noticeable, but Kyle felt it and he squeezed back.

"I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning dad." He whispered, "I love you."

Kyle felt the grip on his hand loosen up and he left with a smile. Alexx looked at him with a question in her eyes when he walked through the door.

"He squeezed my hand." Kyle smiled.

"That is great news." Alexx said, "You know he is so proud of you, right?"

"Yeah. And I of him." Kyle smiled.

"Let's grab a coffee and catch up before you go." Alexx suggested.

"Of course." Kyle said.

After a long, hard day Kyle could finally relax. His father was going to be okay.

 _ **The End**_


End file.
